Taylor House/Arizona Daily Wildcat A student lies on the floor incapacitated at a party earlier this semester. Many students say they will use reading day for heavy drinking instead of its intended use.

Drinking top priority for many students

Tomorrow may be meant to give students an extra day to study before finals, but most are taking the opportunity to squeeze in a little more partying and stress relief before the hectic testing schedule begins.

Reading day, or "dead day" as most students call it, is the day between the last day of classes and the beginning of final exams.

The end of the semester means finishing up final projects, squeezing in those last extra-credit points and making travel arrangements, but once classes end, students will be using their extra day to release tension by going out to bars and hanging out with friends.

Ryan Repucci, an architecture junior, said he will be finishing a final exam today, and once that is complete, he and his friends will take advantage of not having school tomorrow to relieve stress at the bar.

"On Wednesday night I will be drinking heavily," Repucci said. "My friends and I are going to relax and go sake bombing."

But once the hangovers wear off, Repucci and the rest of his architecture buddies will go back to the studio to finish their final project.

"After that we will be pulling all-nighters from Thursday to December 14 when our construction documents are due," Repucci said.

Others will be spending the night before dead day enjoying the outdoors. Jessica Brack, a junior majoring in family studies and human development, said she would rather spend her reading day hanging out and relaxing than preparing for a final exam she is confident she'll do well on.

"I am going camping near Mount Lemmon," Brack said. "I work better under pressure, so I'm not going to study for my final until Friday."

Instead, Brack said she will spend reading day at a hair appointment and at a basketball game.

While Neftali Cota, a classics junior, plans on utilizing his reading day to study for a final exam on Friday, he plans to spend tonight relaxing with his friends.

"It's a good opportunity to unwind and relieve yourself from stress," Cota said. "I am just going to get together with friends and go to a bar for a few drinks."

Once final exams begin, Cota said he will "buckle down" and study for his finals for the rest of the week.